Uterine fibroids are a common condition resulting in abnormal menstrual bleeding and pain. Conventional treatments to alleviate symptoms associated with fibroids include drug therapies which are more suited for less advanced cases and hysterectomy which are typically performed only for more advanced cases. Less invasive procedures are available which typically entail fewer side effects, shorter hospital stays and reduced discomfort.
For example, fibroids may be ablated using electrical energy, heat or cryogenic cooling probes, as well as by occluding the blood supply thereto. Ablation procedures typically require the physician to locate each fibroid and treat it separately which complicates the procedures and introduces the risk that one or more fibroids may go untreated. Vascular occlusion procedures include uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) where embolic spheres are injected into the uterine arteries to prevent blood supply to the fibroids, surgical treatments requiring incisions to reach the affected area to procedures involving the permanent placement of a device or devices accurately over a target anatomical structure (e.g., clamping a blood vessel supplying the fibroid(s)), and less invasive temporary clamping of the uterine arteries that may not require any incisions. Those skilled in the art will understand that patient discomfort and a risk of infection are associated with all procedures requiring incisions. In addition, when a device (e.g., a clamp) has been placed over target tissue for temporary non-incisional treatment, the patient must be kept still for the 6 hours or more during which blood flow is to be occluded. In addition, the clamping may damage the blood vessel(s).